Common Things Overlooked when Buying a Home in the Fall

It’s great to shop around when there are not many people around, noises toned down, and fewer competitors who would be looking at the shoes you have wanted to buy. This is quite similar in home hunting and open houses during fall season. Since, fall is considered as an off-season less people are looking around to find their new house.

It’s quite exhilarating to finally find the house perfect but sometimes certain aspects of the house are overlooked and in a few months’ time, these things would bring nightmares in your dream home.

If you prefer to do house hunting during fall, here are some things you should not forget to check:

Air-conditioning & Heating System

The chilly air of winter is just around the corner, some people tend to forget to check the air conditioner of a house because it’s already cold. Always check the filter to see if it has changed recently. Go out to look at the condenser and hear if it gives out an odd sound. Of course, your home inspector would check it all for you but it is a good habit to do these things yourself so you could anticipate any problem areas that need repairs.

Drainage System

Checking the gutters isn’t the mere thing to do but also look for areas of water puddles in the yard. It will tip you off if there’s a leak in the pipe or a potential backup once you have loaded your laundry or the sink and then try to drain it all at once. If you have a feeling that the sewer has some problems, contact a professional sewer inspector. Prevention is better than the cure. We all know that drainage problems could get messy if not apprehended.

Atmosphere

Look around. Yes, it may feel cozy and quiet when you visited the house but you would not know how it is when construction activities resume in the neighborhood. Walk some blocks away and ask your future neighbors. Once winter season ends, the calm and serene atmosphere of the house might be replaced with loud noises when seasonal street construction comes.

Don’t forget the slopes

Even the land area seems to be flat, always check for slopes especially they are towards the basement. This would indicate that flooding could occur in that area. Steep hills may cause to run off and gather at the end of a slope. Also, try to navigate and visualize yourself driving on the driveway covered with ice.

Stagnant water

Check areas where mosquitoes and insects would stay. Birdbaths, trash cans and buckets are spots that would harbor these insects. They may go away during summer but would come back as soon as the weather temperature drops, especially if there’s water they could lay eggs with. If your potential future home is near a small pond or lake, you may want to plan ahead and anticipate your needs since you cannot do a whole lot about it.

Windows, windows, windows

Open them all up. Check everything that is close if they can open or no. Repairs and replacements are not an easy task and may deem costly. Plan ahead if you may need storm windows or if winter is fast approaching, you might need to cover some windows with plastics until you are ready to do something about it.

It is quite convenient to go around and check open houses since fall is an off-season for homebuyers but the rule of thumb for everything that we purchase is to check the merchandise first before handing out your hard-earned money. All of the things stated above might be small but quite important to check to avoid facing big problems when you move in.